Japan Loses One of Its Three RQ-4B Global Hawk Drones

On September 15, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force lost contact with its RQ-4B Global Hawk strategic reconnaissance drone.

The incident occurred during a flight off the country’s northwestern coast, AP News reported.

The unmanned aircraft disappeared from radar screens in the afternoon.

The drone’s last signal was detected approximately 50 km off the coast of Tottori Prefecture.

The RQ-4B Global Hawk is a long-endurance reconnaissance drone capable of remaining airborne for up to 36 hours.

The aircraft is approximately 15 meters long with a wingspan of 40 meters and is equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors.

The reconnaissance drone’s operating altitude is approximately 18.3 km, allowing it to monitor large areas, including the borders of North Korea and China.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force had a total of three Global Hawk drones in service.

All three unmanned aircraft are based at Misawa Air Base in the northern prefecture of Aomori.

The lost aircraft was the first drone of this type that Japan has lost since beginning to operate them in 2022.

In August, an F-15J fighter jet of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force crashed while landing.

According to available information, the aircraft suffered a failure of the left main landing gear strut.